Fast Five Friday Newsletter (Read This If You've Been Blowing Your Diet Every Weekend, What You Need to Know About Your Scale and Fat Loss)
Happy Friday!
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Here are 2 fitness tools, 2 dieting tips, and a quote for your mindset this week.
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2 Fitness Tools
1. What You NEED to Know About the Scale and Fat Loss
Your scale can and WILL fluctuate everyday.
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Even if you do everything "right"...
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Your scale can go up...
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Even if you do everything "wrong"...
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The scale can go down!
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When you commit to stepping on the scale everyday first thing in the morning after using the bathroom...
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You will realize that your weight fluctuates a lot no matter what you do!
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What this can unlock for you though...
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Is emotional detachment from the scale.
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When you see through practice that it's normal for your scale weight (notice I didn't say body fat) to fluctuate each day...
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You can see that your weight on the scale is affected by a variety of factors...
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-Your intake from the day before
-The different macro nutrient you've consumed recently
-Your hydration level
-Electrolyte balance
-Hormones?
-Your last bathroom break...
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Lots of factors!
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This is why I recommend tracking your WEEKLY avg. weight if you're on a weight loss journey.
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Then you're able to see the TREND of if your weight is going in the direction you want.
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Also the beauty of taking 2 weeks to just see if you're making progress or not...
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Takes your mind to a bigger picture approach...
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Which is SO IMPORTANT when it comes to being consistent and patient in your process!
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Instead of determining your day to day emotions based on what the scale said that morning...
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You can just record the # as data (I recommend a digital scale with an app for your phone to do this for you) and focus on your consistency instead!
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Asking yourself...
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Am I...
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-Showing up to the gym 3-4x a week?
-tracking my calories consistently (calorie deficit for fat loss)
-getting enough protein and fiber (for muscle and overall health)
-getting enough sleep?
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Doing these above things 90% of the time...
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Will result in A LOT of progress!
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These are factors INSIDE of your control...
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While the scale is OUTSIDE of it.
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Focus on your consistency and you will see more results!
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2. Stop Changing Up Your Workout
You may have heard some meat head talk about "changing up your workout" every 4 weeks or "muscle confusion" to keep your body guessing and progressing.
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What in reality does this do?
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Make you more sore more often, (causing you to maybe skip more workouts), and increasing your chance of injury performing new exercises you saw a professional butt model on instagram do. Now if you're somebody who has been consistently in the gym 3-4 days a week for the last several years...
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Then you can ignore this and just keep doing what you're doing.
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BUTT...
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If you go through periods of falling off of the gym entirely for weeks and month long breaks...
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This is a good idea for you.
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Simplify shit.
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Fitness is a lifelong game.
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Committing to doing something you can keep doing now and the rest of your life is really important.
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There is nothing wrong with changing up your workout when you get bored, or if you have different performance goals you want to hit.
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But what's most important is you showing up consistently week in and week out.
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You can push yourself in your workouts to improve and get stronger which is great!
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But the push to "change it up" all the time is because trainers want to feel important and have something to sell you.
Consistency over time is the goal you should be aiming for.
2 Dieting Tips?
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1. Read This If You BLOW Your Diet Every Weekend
If you're falling off track every single weekend with your diet...?
What you're doing isn't working!?
Don't beat yourself up for falling off track...?
Instead get CURIOUS as to why this keeps happening.?
Step outside of yourself for a second and look back on the previous weeks...?
Have you been being super strict with your diet during the work week??
Have you been planning ahead for meals on the weekend??
Are you taking into account social events??
Have you been stress eating or emotional eating??
Is how you've been eating sustainable??
When you take note of these things you can begin to find the solution to your problem.?
Eating to strict during the week??
It's time to start being more flexible and including foods you normally wouldn't eat on a "diet".?
It's okay to have pizza, some ice cream, or one of your favorite snacks.?
It DOES NOT have to be a "cheat day".?
Instead of having a cheat day allow yourself to eat any food that you really want, but instead just portion control it and account for it in your plan.?
If you keep having social events or meals out at restaurants and falling off track it means you just have to plan ahead.?
Allow yourself to have a couple drinks at the bbq.?
Order what you want off the menu at the restaurant, but get a to go box to bring half home for lunch the next day.?
Look up the menu ahead of time or simply decide what you're going to eat before the event but be realistic!?
If you're stress eating or emotional eating it's time to tap into your support systems.?
Who at work can help you with the project you're working on??
Do you need to simply vent to a friend, family member, or schedule in some "me time" to decompress.?
Your body and mind will get what it needs one way or the other.?
So if we are chronically stressed out we are going to look for ways to relieve that stress.?
So often that ends up being food!?
Instead think of other ways you can destress while also including comfort foods in moderation into your plan.?
Lastly...?
Don't beat yourself up for eating more than you planned.?
You're not restarting...
You're just getting back on track!
2. Why You're Doing Something is More Important Than the How ?
"I want to get in better shape"
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"I want to feel better" ?
"I want to build some more muscle"
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But what does that actually mean and look like?
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Right now getting into the gym and working out probably feels like a chore.
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You know you "should" be exercising to be healthier...
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But kids...
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Your job...
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Your life seems to keep you out of the gym...
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The truth is...
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Fitness doesn't matter when life is going well and you're not feeling the consequences of not being fit.
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But when you can't get on the floor to play with your kids...
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OR go for a walk without getting winded...
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It starts to matter.
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When you are no longer able to do things...
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It starts to matter.
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When the doctor puts you on another medication...
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It starts to matter.
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You say you'd do anything for your kids...
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But will you get healthy for them?
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Will you live it?
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Kids follow what you do, not what you say.
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Go for a 20 minute walk every day.
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Actually eat more vegetables like the ones you tell them to eat.
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Look at your schedule with your partner and figure out when one can go to the gym and the other can watch the kids.
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Order a pair of adjustable dumbbells if you can only make it happen at home.
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Plan balanced meals for the week and grocery shop intentionally. ?
IG fitness makes you believe you can't buy anything in the grocery store without poisoning your family... ?
That you need a flat stomach or six pack abs in order to be happy...
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That you have to do HIIT cardio all the time to "burn" that fat off...
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When the truth is you don't need any of that. ?
You need healthy habits that you can actually implement into your life. ?
You want to feel good, look good, and do the things you enjoy in life with the people you value the most. ?
That's it.
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A Quote to Think About Today
“You'll never know how beautiful your life can be if you're not willing to be uncomfortable."
- Cory Muscara, ?Author of "Stop Missing Your Life"
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Have a great weekend!
Best,
Nate Brown
Fast and Swole Training
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